Only feral, farm, unowned and community cats who have little or no human interaction or dependency are exempt from microchipping and in all other cases owners who are found to not have had their cat microchipped will be given 21 days to have one implanted, or may face a fine of up to £500.
FAQ
A microchip which is roughly the size of a grain of rice is carefully inserted under your cat’s skin, normally at the back of the neck. Each microchip has its own unique code and once it is in place, it can’t be seen, but can be read by a microchip scanner. Once it is in place your cat won’t be able to feel the microchip and it shouldn’t cause any problems.
The microchip can be scanned to find its unique code and matched to one of the national databases. (There are around 20 national databases) The registered owner’s contact details are stored on the applicable database.
You MUST keep your cat’s microchip details up to date.
If you move house or change your phone number/s you must inform the database that your cat’s microchip is registered with so that they have your up to date contact details. It can be near impossible to reunite pets with their owners if the owner cannot be contacted.
If your cat is microchipped, you should have received a confirmation letter or email which included an ID or reference number as well as their microchip number. You may also find your cat’s microchip number in their vaccination card.
If you cannot find these then bring your cat to us and we will scan them for a microchip and its number.
If you aren’t sure which database your cat’s microchip is registered to you can bring your cat to us and we will scan them for a microchip.
You can also find it on your original registration paperwork as well as by entering your cat’s microchip on Check-a-chip.
If you are rehoming your cat, you will need to contact the microchip database that your cat’s microchip is registered to. You will need to complete a transfer of ownership document so that the new owner can registered their details on the database. This will make them the registered owner of the cat and remove your details from the database.
The new owner will now be responsible for ensuring their contact details are registered and kept up to date.
